London at your fingertips

London is synonymous with certain things, as all great cities are. The British capital might make you think of Big Ben and the Houses of Parliament, Buckingham Palace, Tower Bridge, the Tower of London or black taxis.

For many people, a red double decker bus is a symbol of London. If red double decker buses are typical of London, than the Routemaster is the daddy of London buses. The iconic red Routemaster buses were withdrawn - from all but two Heritage routes - in 2005. London's elected Mayor (not to be confused with the Lord Mayor of London), Boris Johnson, promised a new Routemaster that would be fit for the twenty-first century. Visitors and bus enthusiasts alike can see the winning designs and noteworthy entries at the London Transport Museum until March 29, 2009.

Independent minded sightseers can enjoy a ride on an original Routemaster bus with the Ride & Stride London audio tour. Listeners will hear about the other British icons that the design consultant employed on the project was responsible for. (Please note that the cost of the bus ride is not included in the tour price). Listeners are then instructed to disembark at St Paul's Cathedral.

The eagle eyed among you, might notice that one of the fingers on the figure pictured left (which surround the statue of Queen Anne) is missing a finger. The four female figures are said to represent England, France, Ireland and North America. The statue stands in front of the west door of St Paul's Cathedral.

Listeners to the Ride & Stride London audio guide have the freedom to enter the Cathedral if they wish. Simply pause your mp3 guided tour and then resume it, once you're done. Sir Christopher Wren was charged with designing a new St Paul's after the previous cathedral on the site was destroyed in the Great Fire of London of 1666. Queen Anne was on the throne when Wren's masterpiece was completed in 1711. To hear an audio sample from the Ride & Stride London city guide please click here.

Hear about the influence that a contemporary architect and his firm have had on London with the Ride & Stride London travel guide. Sir Norman Foster's commissions in the British capital have included the Millennium Bridge. The bridge links St Paul’s Cathedral on the North Bank of the Thames, with the Tate Modern, a huge modern art gallery housed in Bankside Power Station on the South Bank. On grey London days, such as the one pictured above left, a Walk Talk Tour makes an ideal guide, as listeners have the flexibility to stop, start and resume their tour as they wish or as the weather dictates.

Listeners to the Ride & Stride city walking tour will hear about Tate Modern's history and have the chance to go and contemplate the meaning of art.

See and hear about the new Globe Theatre which opened thanks to the tenacity of an American actor, Sam Wanamaker, who has since passed away. Learn about the origins of various terms as you stroll along the South Bank. Walk past City Hall and then cross the River Thames, using Tower Bridge. At the commentary points along the route you will hear about the stories and characters associated with well and lesser known London.

The Ride & Stride podcast guided tour concludes in front of the Tower of London. There are five Walk Talk Tour London city guides all of which are available in English, French, German and Spanish.

Each Walk Talk Tour London iPod travel guide costs just £5.95 a piece. Purchase two tours simultaneously and receive a twenty per cent discount.